Identifying and Implementing College- and Career-Readiness … · 2014-01-13 · Identifying and Implementing College- and Career-Readiness Standards In this report, Hanover Research

MARKET EVALUATION SURVEYING DATA ANALYSIS BENCHMARKING INNOVATIVE PRACTICES LITERATURE REVIEW

1101 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036

P 202.756.2971 F 866.808.6585 www.hanoverresearch.com

Identifying and Implementing College- and Career-Readiness Standards

In this report, Hanover Research identifies college and career-readiness standards and provides examples of how states and school districts are integrating such standards into their curricula. In the introduction, the importance of college- and career-readiness standards and the national movement toward Common Core curriculum standards for college- and career-readiness is discussed. We then overview the college and career-readiness standards produced by two states that have chosen not to adopt the Common Core State Standards, as well as an innovative approach to college and career readiness developed in California and at an Illinois school district. Finally, we provide an abridged version of the Common Core State Standards – the most widely adopted college and career-readiness standards in the United States – and detail case studies that demonstrate how school districts and states are implementing these college and career-readiness standards.

2

DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION PRACTICE

© 2010 Hanover Research – District Administration Practice

HANOVER RESEARCH OCTOBER 2010

Introduction

The push toward higher standards in American public K-12 education largely stems from concerns over America‟s long-term international competitiveness. In recent years, studies have suggested that the quality of public K-12 education in the United States lags behind that of other industrialized countries.1 Primary and secondary education is failing to prepare a large subsection of American youth for higher education, as evidenced by the rates at which first-year college and university students are enrolling in remedial courses. Achieve, Inc., a non-profit education reform organization, reported that “while most of our high school graduates are now going on to college, many of them are not prepared. Four out of every 10 new college students need to take remedial courses, including 25 percent of new students at four-year colleges and universities and 60 percent at two-year institutions.”2 Further, primary and secondary schools are failing to instill in students the skills necessary to compete in a modern knowledge-based economy. There is concern that American high school graduates will soon not be able to compete in growing fields.

For instance, to progress beyond entry-level maintenance jobs in the fast-growing aerospace industry, new hires will need a strong mathematics and science background. According to the FAA, aircraft maintenance technicians need to be comfortable working with complex measurement, proportions and ratios, solving equations with multiple variables, calculating volumes, and modeling linear equations. Manufacturing is another field that traditionally has not had stringent entrance requirements but now demands advanced mathematical knowledge and skills for workers to understand and operate complex machinery based on constantly evolving technology.3

Achieve and The Education Trust lament what they call the false assumption that preparing students for postsecondary work is necessarily distinct from preparing them for postsecondary education, thus requiring a different approach:

1 See: “U.S. Teens Trail Peers Around the World on Math-Science Test.” The Washington Post, December 5, 2007. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/04/AR2007120400730.html and “What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart?” The Wall Street Journal, February 29, 2008. http://viet-studies.info/Finnish_education.pdf 2 “Making College and Career Readiness the Mission for High Schools: A Guide for State Policymakers.” Achieve and The Education Trust, 2008, 4. www.achieve.org/files/MakingCollegeandCareerReadinesstheMissionforHighSchool.pdf 3 Ibid., 9.

To ensure that students are adequately prepared for

postsecondary education as well as employment in an

increasingly knowledge-based economy, it is imperative that curriculum standards are not

only improved, but incorporate both technical and academic

elements in traditional academic courses as well as in

career-technical courses.

3




Vocational programs designed to get students ready for work have traditionally set a much lower bar than college preparatory programs. These programs have operated on an assumption that “ready for work” requires fundamentally different preparation in core academics than “ready for college.” We now know that is no longer true. Whether they‟re going to college or directly into the workforce, all high school graduates need the same rigorous preparation to be successful.4

To ensure that students are adequately prepared for postsecondary education, as well as employment, in an increasingly knowledge-based economy, it is imperative that curriculum standards are not only improved, but incorporate both technical and academic elements in traditional academic courses as well as career-technical courses. However, the system of standards-test-accountability often creates disincentives for increasing standards for fear of failure. If graduation requirements are raised, for example, a short-term decrease in graduation rates may reflect poorly on the school district. Yet at the same time, this purposeful lowering of the bar is seen as a serious long-run disservice to students by policymakers. Nowhere is this harm more manifest than in low-income and minority schools.

The problem of watered-down curriculum and expectations is especially pronounced in classrooms with high concentrations of low-income and minority children, where students get “A‟s” for work that would earn a “C” or a “D” in a higher-wealth school.5

Robert Rothman, writing for the Alliance for Excellent Education, summarizes the main problem with varying or watered-down standards:

Why should the expectations for what students know and are able to do depend on where students happen to live? Youths who graduate from high school in Wheeling, West Virginia, will face the same global economy as graduates from Walla Walla, Washington.6

This lack of equity, along with the decreased competitiveness of American students, is one of the key motivating factors behind the movement to develop new college and career-readiness standards in public schools. This requires courage on the part of school districts weary of their students not meeting higher standards immediately, and patience and a long-term outlook on the part of state level policy-makers and administrators.

4 Ibid., 5. 5 Ibid., 19. 6 Rothman, R. 2009. “Common Standards: The Time is Now.” Alliance for Excellent Education, 2. www.all4ed.org/files/TheTimeIsNow.pdf

4




College and Career-Readiness Standards and Skills: The Connection The Alliance for Excellent Education describes the Common Core State Standards Initiative – the collaborative effort involving multiple stakeholder groups to develop national benchmark college and career-readiness standards – as “an unprecedented bottom-up effort, in which forty-eight states committed to work together to set common, rigorous expectations for all students.”7 It has long been the responsibility of the states to set curricula and establish learning expectations. As the report points out:

States‟ authority over standards was reinforced by the No Child Left Behind Act, which required all students to reach “proficiency” on state standards by 2013-14, but left it up to each state to set standards and determine what proficiency meant, as well as the trajectory schools needed to follow to reach the goal.8

The improvement of American public K-12 education is undoubtedly a national issue; however public K-12 education in the United States is largely within the jurisdiction of state and local governments. Consequently, assessments and graduation requirements vary from state to state, creating differences in content, quality, proficiency levels, and college and career-readiness. Owing to states‟ traditional control over public education, meaningful reform of education standards

must necessarily be a state-led initiative. Under this premise, the Common Core State Standards Initiative was spearheaded by two state-led associations – the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association (NGA) – ensuring that while nationwide in focus, the initiative is unquestionably state-led. The CCSSO and NGA, in collaboration with parents, educators, and state-level partners, developed the “Common Core State Standards” (CCSS) to serve as benchmarks for schools and school districts in every state. The Common Core State Standards, as with other college- and career-readiness standards, are rooted in the understanding that college and career-readiness is a process, as well as a state. They specify the skills students must master by each grade level to be considered college and career-ready. Thus, such standards can be considered comprehensive lists of college and career-readiness skills.

7 Ibid., 1. 8 Ibid., 4.

A recent report shows that in 2005, only three states had

developed high school standards designed to meet the expectations of college and the workplace. By March 2010, 31

states had adopted college and career-readiness standards.

5




The number of states adopting college and career-readiness standards has grown exponentially since 2005. A recent report shows that in 2005, only three states had developed high school standards designed to meet the expectations of college and the workplace. By March 2010, 31 states had adopted college and career-readiness standards.9 According to the Common Core State Standards Initiative, 36 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, have adopted the Common Core State Standards.10 Though state-led, the movement to adopt common college and career-preparatory curricula has garnered federal support. According to a recent report, President Barack Obama is interested in tying Title I funding to school districts‟ adoption of core reading and mathematics standards.11 Implementation Implementing college and career-readiness standards involves changes in both curricula and assessment practices. Regarding curricular changes, in brief, the implementation of college and career-readiness standards involves blending the content of college-preparatory and career-technical courses and raising the bar on all students, regardless of future aspirations. Based on our research, however, it appears that there is currently a discrepancy between states in whether, at this point in time, new standards have become graduation requirements for all students or requirements for an honors diploma. Regardless, it does appear that in many states the goal is that all students will eventually be held to these standards. To ease students‟ transitions to more challenging curricula, it may be necessary to devise a system whereby students who feel inadequately prepared may “opt-out” of more challenging courses. This method contrasts with the current “opt-in” method of taking honors, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate courses, and is meant to retain most students while allowing those who cannot keep up to withdraw. Achieve, however, is critical of the opt-out option:

However, because evidence is clear that disproportionate numbers of minority and low-income students are enrolled in less rigorous courses today, we strongly recommend that states choosing the default approach make opting out as difficult as possible, monitor who is opting out and who isn’t (by race, income, and geographic region), and place declining

caps on the number of opt-outs allowed.12

9 “College and Career Readiness Standards Implemented Across the Country.” Education-Portal.com, March 2, 2010. http://education-portal.com/articles/College_and_Career_Standards_Implemented_Across_the_Country.html 10 “In the States.” Common Core State Standards Initiative. http://www.corestandards.org/in-the-states 11 “College and Career Readiness Standards Implemented Across the Country.” Op. cit. 12 “Making College and Career Readiness the Mission for High Schools: A Guide for State Policymakers.” Op. cit., 16.

6




Ensuring students remain in courses with the right titles and content is not enough. Instruction must be tailored to teach college- and career-readiness skills to traditionally under-performing students. Successful implementation hinges on the ability of teachers to effectively teach to the new standards. Proponents of college and career-readiness standards claim that states and districts are responsible for new teacher training and professional development. Administrators must work closely with teachers to ensure they have the correct lesson plans, as well as a full understanding of new material and student expectations and abilities. Assessment Student assessment techniques have also come under the purview of the college and career-readiness movement. The CCSSO and NGA offer several suggestions for how state assessments should evaluate college and career-readiness skills. More testing is not the answer; smarter testing is. As Achieve and The Education Trust report:

…most state high school tests reflect knowledge and skills students should learn by early in high school – few state tests indicate whether or not students are college and career-ready by the end of high school… It is therefore not surprising that the vast majority of postsecondary institutions and employers pay no attention to performance on state tests. Instead, they give their own tests to see whether or not students are ready. However, these tests are rarely well-aligned with state standards or school curriculum.”13

It is imperative that state assessments evaluate the skills and knowledge students must possess to be successful in college or in the workforce. Student assessments at all grade levels must measure students’ progress toward college and career-readiness. A report from Achieve and The Education Trust asserts:

Just as state standards need to be back-mapped from the end-of-high school standards, so too do the assessments given in elementary, middle, and early high school need to line up with the college- and career-ready anchor assessment. The goal is to signal, at each stage of schooling, whether or not

students are on a path to college and career readiness.14 Assessment reform should also look at the instruments used to evaluate student progress. Achieve and The Education Trust claim “performance measures” can

13 Ibid., 23. 14 Ibid., 31.

Student assessments at all grade levels must measure students’ progress toward college- and

career-readiness

7




“capture a broader range of student skills” than can traditional summative tests. Effective performance measures include: laboratory experiments, research papers, team projects, essays, portfolios, demonstrations, presentation, and exhibitions. Using performance measures in student assessments may also have positive effects on instruction, as it decreases “the temptation to teach only the subset of skills and knowledge that is included in the summative tests,” since a broader range of student skills are evaluated.15 Bi-Partisan Political Support for Common Standards Educational policy-making, of course, is subjected to the constraints of the political process, and partisan divisions may restrict the ability of reformers to push through broad-based change. However, results from a recent Achieve survey revealed strong bipartisan support amongst voters for the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Some key findings from the survey are as follows:

83% of voters agree „all-students should be pushed to take rigorous and broad academic requirements in high school to make sure they have as many options as possible upon graduation.‟

By nearly a two-to-one margin, voters believe it is „better for all states to have the same standards at each grade level in math and English so students across the country have to meet the same expectations‟ (62%) rather than for states to have „their own standards reflecting their own priorities.‟

Support crosses party lines: 85% of Republicans, 87% of Democrats, and 85% of Independents support these requirements for all students.

Support also crosses ethnic/racial lines: 85% of White, 84% of Black and 95% of Hispanic voters support college- and career-ready graduation requirements for all students.16

Conclusion and Report Overview

To excel in postsecondary education and in an increasingly knowledge-based economy, American students must be provided with the tools required to compete. The literature highlights the necessity of considering the acquisition of career-readiness skills to be part of a process that includes all grade levels, as well as being integral to college-readiness skills. In many respects, this requires raising standards for student knowledge and skills at each grade level. However, it also requires curricula to adapt to the demands of the modern economy, where most jobs require proficiency in traditionally academic skills as well as technical, job-specific

15 Ibid., 29. 16 “Nationwide Achieve Survey Reveals Broad Bipartisan Support for the College- and Career-Ready Agenda.” Achieve, Inc., August 10, 2010. www.achieve.org/nationwide-achieve-survey-reveals-broad-bipartisan-support-college-and-career-ready-agenda

8




skills. Separate preparatory standards for those entering the workforce and higher education are no longer tenable, and higher standards and college and career-relevant curricula are needed to ensure that American high school graduates are equipped to compete in the 21st century global economy.

The college and career-readiness standards cited in this report are meant to serve as a guide for school districts as they develop their own standards to prepare their students for future success. It is important to note that in our research of states‟ and districts‟ career-readiness skills, the identification and implementation of such skills was almost always at the state level, rather than the district level. As such, most of the examples cited in this report reflect state-wide initiatives. We first profile examples of states and a school district that have adopted career-readiness skills and standards separate from the Common Core Standards, a national initiative to develop college- and career-readiness standards. Because XYZ Community Schools is located in Nebraska, a state that has not yet adopted the Common Core Standards, these examples may be particularly useful to XYZ‟s efforts to produce college- and career-ready students.

However, due to its adoption among the majority of states, it is also to important to consider the college- and career-readiness standards outlined by the Common Core Standards. These standards are considered by many to be the preeminent college and career-readiness standards, and have been adopted by 26 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the span of just four months. As such, we also overview the content of these Standards and provide a case study analysis of states that have implemented the Common Core Standards.

9




State-Specific College- and Career-Readiness Standards

In this section, we profile three states – Texas, Virginia, and California – and one high school in the Arlington Heights Public School District (IL) that have identified and implemented college- and career-readiness standards separate from the Common Core Standards. In the pages below, we profile the identification and implementation of these standards, while in the Appendices of this report we provide a more detailed review of the Texas and Virginia standards. A review of these states‟ and district processes for identifying college- and career-readiness standards, as well as the skills themselves, suggests a few key trends:

Complimenting the literature, the states college- and career-readiness standards reflect the importance of integrating academic and technical skills into all levels of education in order to produce students ready for higher education and able to succeed in the workforce.

Many of these state standards go beyond the more traditional college- and career-readiness focus areas of English language arts and mathematics that are found in the Common Core Standards. In particular, these state-specific standards tended to focus more on the application of science, math, and information technology skills.

The list of college- and career-readiness standards from Texas and Virginia (in the Appendices of this report) further reiterate the focus on the application of reasoning and analytical skills – in any subject area – in order to prepare students for college and the workforce.

California is unique in its development of core “foundational” standards, as well as industry-specific “career pathway” standards. In many ways, California appears to take a very tailored approach towards career-readiness skills, which may be facilitated by the fact that the state has also adopted the Common Core Standards, which also provide a broader base of college- and career-readiness standards.

Texas The State of Texas has been at the forefront of the college- and career-readiness movement. In 2007, The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) began developing the state‟s College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS). Texas’ College and Career Readiness Standards are more extensive than those developed by the Common Core State Standards, and include standards for science and social studies. By raising the bar in all disciplines, Texas believes it can better equip its young people for work in the new economy. As the current recession has shown, “Intellectual nimbleness and

10




adaptability…will serve equally well those students heading to college and to the workforce.”17 In language arts, the THECB and TEA hope to better integrate communication and language skills into learning in each subject. The state‟s policy-makers believe that even technicians must possess higher level language arts skills in the modern economy. Texas educators believe college- and career-readiness standards should not separate the mechanical usage of language from the context of communication and writing in other subject areas because at the next level, no matter what it may be, these skills are presupposed as integrated. The THECB and TEA assert: “…the complex role of language in education makes it clear that the language arts cannot be left entirely to the English class.”18 Likewise, they claim the skills students obtain in social studies classes are applicable across disciplines and professions:

Simply memorizing facts and data is not sufficient to succeed in a college-level social studies course…Students need to know how to read and examine information critically, to communicate conclusions effectively, and to gather cogent information that will help them understand problems they will encounter in a wide variety of disciplines and careers.19

The Texas Education Agency has also crafted standards for science beyond the “traditional” disciplines – biology, chemistry, and physics – developing standards for environmental science and the scientific application of mathematics, for example.20 Standards for mathematics cover ten sub-divisions of the discipline, including: algebraic reasoning, statistical reasoning, and functions.21 Overall, Texas‟ college- and career-readiness standards exemplify the core principles of the college- and career-readiness reform movement: high expectations and the cross-discipline application of technical and academic skills. Virginia Like Texas, the Commonwealth of Virginia has chosen to develop its own college- and career-readiness standards rather than adopt the Common Core State Standards. Virginia incorporated the input of respected education organizations such as Achieve, the American Diploma Project (ADP), the College Board, and ACT, to revise its English and mathematics standards of learning (SOL) in 2009 and 2010. The resulting standards were validated by the aforementioned organizations as college-

17 “Texas College and Career Readiness Standards.” Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and Texas Education Agency, 2009, v. www.thecb.state.tx.us/collegereadiness/CRS.pdf 18 Ibid., 2. 19 Ibid., 24. 20 Ibid., 14-21. 21 Ibid., 8-11.

11




and career-ready.22 Appendix B provides examples of Virginia‟s SOLs for mathematics and English. The full list of standards can be found by accessing the links in the footnotes in Appendix B. Further, the state is currently in the process of conducting research to inform further improvement of those standards and the development of college- and career- readiness standards in other areas of study. A report from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) explains:

As part of the initiative, Virginia has been engaged in a research program designed to understand the association between performance on Virginia‟s statewide assessments and enrollment and performance in postsecondary education. Through this research, VDOE has identified indicators of college readiness that are independently associated with a high probability of enrollment and persistence in four-year postsecondary institutions from across the country.23

The Virginia Department of Education has also identified the following indicators of college-readiness:

Participate in a college preparatory curriculum that includes Algebra II and chemistry.

Earning advanced proficient scores on mathematics, reading, and writing SOL assessments.

Earning an advanced studies diploma.

Participating in Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual-enrollment courses.

Participating in the Virginia Early College Scholars program.

Earning college ready scores on placement tests such as the SAT and ACT.24

The purpose of Virginia‟s ongoing research is to identify and standardize factors that predict postsecondary success. Similar to other states undergoing the same change, Virginia has made both curricular and assessment adjustments. The VDOE report asserts:

VDOE is developing new tests that will measure students‟ mastery of the more rigorous content standards. The new assessments will be administered online, and include technology-enhanced items that

22 “Virginia‟s College and Career Readiness Initiative.” Virginia Department of Education, 2010, 1. www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/college_career_readiness/resources/introductory_briefing.pdf 23 Ibid., 1. 24 Ibid., 1-2.

12




required students to demonstrate content mastery in ways that were not possible with multiple-choice tests.25

Testing of this kind will better measure students‟ abilities while challenging them in more relevant ways than past assessments. California Although California has adopted the Common Core Standards, it has also developed a “Multiple Pathways” initiative that combines college-ready academic courses (A-G curriculum) with Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. An issue brief from the Alliance for Excellent Education describes the Multiple Pathways initiative as the following:

Multiple pathways are programs of study organized around California‟s major industries that combine college-prep academics with high-quality career-technical education, work-based learning opportunities, and effective student support services.26

The Multiple Pathways approach is grounded in the following guiding principles:

Pathways prepare students for both college and career. Understanding that both objectives are critical to future success, pathways are predicated on meeting both without forcing a choice. Students exiting a pathway program should have no option closed off to them.

Pathways connect academics to the real world. By integrating academics with a demanding CTE curriculum, pathways alter how core academic subjects are taught, without lowering expectations or watering down content.

Pathways lead to the full range of postsecondary opportunities. Although not all pathway students will enroll in a four-year college after high school, they will graduate prepared for the full range of options, including two- and four-year college, job training, apprenticeships, certificate programs, and the military.

Pathways improve student achievement. Pathways are designed to produce greater accomplishment in a diverse set of measurable areas, including tests of academic achievement, mastery of technical skills, and educational attainment at multiple levels.27

25 Ibid., 6. 26 Richmond, E. 2009. “Preparing Students for College and Career: California Multiple Pathways.” Alliance for Excellent Education, 4. www.all4ed.org/files/IssueBriefCAMultPathways.pdf 27 Ibid., 5.

13




Schools that have adopted the Multiple Pathways approach integrate academic and technical elements into their curricula, reaching across disciplines to provide students with a balanced career and college-relevant education. Studies reveal gains to student achievement associated with integrated technical-academic course content. The Alliance for Excellent Teachers highlights the results of one such study:

In a rigorous, fully experimental random-assignment study, CTE teachers who worked with math colleagues to highlight the math inherent to their curricula showed student learning gains in math that exceeded those in a control group.28

Several school districts in California have laid the groundwork for the adoption of the Multiple Pathways approach, which seeks to prepare students for both postsecondary and professional life. Some districts have aligned their graduation requirements with the A-G Curriculum – the series of courses required for admission to the state’s public universities.29 California‟s Department of Education has also begun to lay the groundwork for Multiple Pathways, working with the California State University (CSU) system to streamline the assessment of college-ready skills.

Working together, [the California Department of Education] and [the California State University System] created a second, voluntary section of the 11th grade high school assessment- Part B- that reflects college-ready standards in English and mathematics. Students who take the test and score at the college-ready level…do not need to take the placement exams at CSU; they are automatically enrolled in credit-bearing courses.30

Regarding career-readiness, to better prepare students for the professional world, the State Department of Education “…released a new CTE framework that focused on preparing young people for postsecondary education and employment, and created detailed standards around fifteen CTE pathways aligned to state labor market needs.”31 The CTE framework provides standards for fifteen industry sectors:

Agriculture and Natural Resources Industry Sector

Arts, Media, and Entertainment Industry Sector

Building Trades and Construction Industry Sector

Education, Child Development, and Family Services Industry Section

Energy and Utilities Industry Sector

Engineering and Design Industry Sector

28 Ibid., 4. 29 Ibid., 3. 30 “Making College and Career Readiness the Mission for High Schools: A Guide for State Policymakers.” Op. cit., 28. 31 Richmond. Op. cit., 3.

14




Fashion and Interior Industry Sector

Finance and Business Industry Sector

Health Science and Medical Technology Industry Sector

Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation Industry Sector

Information Technology Industry Sector

Manufacturing and Product Development Industry Sector

Market, Sales, and Service Industry Sector

Public Services Industry Sector

Transportation Industry Sector32 Each sector has two or more “career pathways,” each with its own unique standards that detail the technical and knowledge skills needed to succeed in the industry sector and the career.33 In addition to the career pathway standards, the CTE framework includes eleven “core standards that all students need to master to be successful in the CTE curriculum and in the workplace:”

1) Academics 2) Communications 3) Career Planning and Management 4) Technology 5) Problem Solving and Critical Thinking 6) Health and Safety 7) Responsibility and Flexibility 8) Ethics and Legal Responsibilities 9) Leadership and Teamwork 10) Technical Knowledge and Skills 11) Demonstration and Application.34

Sample course sequences for career pathways within each industry sector may be found starting on page 139 of the Career Technical Education Framework for California Public Schools. California‟s Multiple Pathways initiative embodies the central tenets of college- and career-readiness reform movement. It focuses on raising standards for all students and tying K-12 curricula to the expectations of higher education institutions and businesses. As California has also adopted the Common Core State Standards, school districts in the state may consider utilizing the Multiple Pathways approach to help students meet the new standards.

32 “Career Technical Education Framework for California Public Schools – Grades Seven Through Twelve.” California CTE Standards and Framework Advisory Group.” 2007. 138. http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ct/sf/documents/cteframework.pdf 33 Ibid. xvi. 34 Ibid.

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ct/sf/documents/cteframework.pdf

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ct/sf/documents/cteframework.pdf

15




John Hersey High School – Arlington Heights School District 25, Illinois John Hersey High School has garnered national attention for its innovative curriculum and approach to teaching, which have been credited with dramatically improving student progress on established college-readiness standards. Students in John Hersey have “achieved in recent years unmatched growth in student performance on ACT's College/Career Readiness Standards as measured by Explore scores in 8th grade compared to ACT scores in 11th grade.”35 To be considered college-ready by ACT standards, students must meet or surpass the ACT College-Readiness Benchmark scores on ACT tests in four core subjects – English, Reading, Mathematics, and Science. Meeting the ACT Benchmark scores signifies that a student will have a high probability of success in credit-bearing college courses in the same subject. The ACT defines “a high probability of success in credit-bearing college courses” as “…approximately a 50 percent chance of earning a B or better and approximately a 75 percent chance of earning a C or better in the corresponding college course or courses.”36 The ACT College-Readiness Benchmarks are presented in the table below:

ACT College-Readiness Benchmark Scores

Test EXPLORE Score PLAN Score ACT Score

English 13 15 18

Reading 15 17 21

Mathematics 17 19 22

Science 20 21 24

Source: ACT37

The EXPLORE test is intended for 8th and 9th grade students that includes English, math, reading, and science assessments. It is the first component “of a testing system that goes on to include PLAN and the ACT.”38 PLAN also tests English, math, reading, and science, but is intended to help

35 “Aligning High School and Middle School English, Science, Math, and Social Studies Instruction to College/Career Readiness Skills.” Aligned By Design, 4. http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:UX_99djf95EJ:www.stemequitypipeline.org/_documents/WI/Aligned%2520by%2520Design%2520Aligning%2520HS%2520and%2520MS%2520Instruction%2520to%2520College%2520Career%2520Readiness%2520Skills.pdf+career-readiness+skills+and+school+districts&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgiwnbnahufnH3JZNmxfZE2VNwaOjRCIUYdouPGaRWqLRipwLGOeydcEc3p0XxpBo3Vm1QgrYoexBwXb-rXBB5Vx15KvOV7cv70Q0azWivhBTe1oIvuAi7hwKgIQ4sR9UORxsPQ&sig=AHIEtbQJ0EvUl9vJeFHLfL9Fk6ov-G2K2Q 36 “What are ACT‟s College Readiness Benchmarks?” ACT.org, Issues in College Readiness, 1. http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/benchmarks.pdf 37 Adapted from: “What are ACT‟s College Readiness Benchmarks?” 1. 38 “ACT‟s EXPLORE Program: EXPLORE, PLAN, and the ACT.” ACT, Inc. http://actstudent.org/explore/tests/epas.html

16




…10th graders build a solid foundation for future academic and career success and provides information needed to address school districts' high-priority issues. It is a comprehensive guidance resource that helps students measure their current academic development, explore career/training options, and make plans for the remaining years of high school and post-graduation years.39

Both the EXPLORE and the PLAN test should help students prepare for the ACT, a test of high school seniors‟ “general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work.”40 Interestingly, ACT, Inc., the creator of all three tests, states that it has been a development partner in the Common Core Standards Initiative, suggesting that the college- and career-readiness skills tested by EXPLORE, PLAN, and ACT may align with the Common Core Standards.41 As Illinois is one of the states that has adopted the Common Core Standards, Hersey High School‟s use of EXPLORE, PLAN, and the ACT suggests that these tests may be effectively used to assess college- and career-readiness skills under a curriculum aligned to the Common Core Standards. John Hersey High School‟s progress on getting students college-ready is impressive. In 2005, the school‟s average ACT scores were in the 75th percentile nationally, a substantial improvement upon where they ranked in 2000 – the 60th percentile. This improvement occurred in the midst of a policy change in Illinois which required all 11th-grade students to take the test, which could have reasonably been expected to drive average scores down as more low-performing students and students not intending to go to college take the test. Furthermore, improvements in scores on ACT benchmark assessments (10th-grade PLAN and 11th-grade ACT) between 2003 and 2005 were 71 percent higher than expected, with the most dramatic improvements coming from “at-risk” students.42 These statistics raise an important question: How did they do it? Hersey has developed a curriculum geared toward improving test scores by focusing on test preparation, classical content, and “collaboratively developed thematic projects grounded in controversy and designed to cultivate student voice and civic engagement.” The Hersey approach aims to keep students interested and engaged in course content. This is achieved through a curriculum that encourages the deep exploration of content and a greater degree of teacher control over instructional practices and course materials. The Hersey approach, however, is not without controversy. Its skills remediation strategy consists of the controversial practice of grouping students by ability level. David Ferrero, Director of

39 “ACT‟s PLAN Assessment.” ACT, Inc. http://www.act.org/plan/ 40“The ACT Test.” ACT, Inc. http://www.act.org/aap/ 41 “ACT Support for Common Core Standards.” ACT, Inc. http://www.act.org/announce/commoncore.html 42 Ferrero, D. J. 2006. “Having It All.” Educational Leadership, 63:8. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may06/vol63/num08/Having-It-All.aspx

17




Education Research and Evaluation at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, explains how ability-grouping occurs at Hersey:

This [ability-grouping] enables teachers to address students' needs with greater concentration and precision than they could in heterogeneously grouped classrooms. However, all students study the same content and participate collectively four times a year in the cohortwide integrated units. Requiring all students to follow a common core curriculum mitigates the stigma associated with remediation and ensures that all students grapple with the same content and issues. Hersey's 50–75 percent reduction in remediation rates between 9th and 11th grade demonstrates that this combination works. But its success depends on teachers' willingness and ability to do the thankless, mundane work of skills diagnosis and instruction alongside more intrinsically rewarding tasks, such as crafting debates over genetic research.43

Hersey‟s approach to improving its students‟ college-readiness can be regarded as “student-centered” in that it focuses on making content relevant to students and ensuring that students master fundamental skills before progressing. Students‟ impressive gains on ACT college-readiness tests demonstrate the approach‟s efficacy, and other schools and school districts are taking notice. The approach has proven replicable in urban schools as well, as the Chicago International Charter School Northtown Academy Campus has achieved similar results.44 The Hersey experience demonstrates that while it is important to set high academic standards, it is equally, if not more important to devise an effective approach to meeting them.

43 Ibid. 44 Ibid.

18




The Common Core State Standards and Implementation

The Common Core State Standards, developed by the CCSSO and the NGA in collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders, serve as benchmarks for states and school districts as they seek to prepare their K-12 students for their postsecondary academic and professional lives. The criteria used to develop the Standards reflect this commitment to college and career preparation:

Aligned with college and work expectations

Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills

Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards

Informed by top-performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society

Evidence and/or research-based45

The Standards are broken down by subject and grade level, and fall under two major categories: English Language Arts (ELA) Standards and Mathematics Standards. The examples below are meant to provide a sense of the breadth of skills covered by the Standards, as well as the importance of college- and career-readiness focused curriculum across all grade levels. The full list of Common Core State Standards can be found by accessing the links provided in the footnote citations for the following examples: English Language Arts Standards Kindergarten – Grade Five: Anchor Standards for Reading Key Ideas and Details:

Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

Craft and Structure:

Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

45 “Introduction to the Common Core State Standards.” Common Core State Standards Initiative. http://www.corestandards.org/assets/ccssi-introduction.pdf

19




Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:

Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:

Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

Kindergarten – Grade Five: Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening Comprehension and Collaboration:

Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others‟ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:

Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Grades Six – Twelve: Anchor Standards for Writing Text Types and Purposes:

Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Production and Distribution of Writing:

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge:

Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

Range of Writing:

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Grades Six – Twelve: Anchor Standards for Language Conventions of Standard English:

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

20




Knowledge of Language:

Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use:

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.46

Mathematics Standards Grade Two: Operations and Algebraic Thinking Standards Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction

Use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one- and two-step word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.

Add and subtract within 20

Fluently add and subtract within 20 using mental strategies. By end of Grade 2, know from memory all sums of two one-digit numbers.

Work with equal groups of objects to gain foundations for multiplication

Determine whether a group of objects (up to 20) has an odd or even number of members, e.g., by pairing objects or counting them by 2s; write an equation to express an even number as a sum of two equal addends.

Grade Seven: Geometry Standards Draw, construct, and describe geometrical figures and describe the relationship between them

Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different scale.

Solve real-life and mathematical problems involving angle measure, area, surface area, and volume

46 For full list of English Language Arts standards, see: “English Language Arts Standards.” Common Core State Standards Initiative. http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards/english-language-arts-standards

21




Know the formulas for the area and circumference of a circle and use them to solve problems; give an informal derivation of the relationship between the circumference and area of a circle.

High School: Functions Standards Understand the concept of a function and use function notation

Use function notation, evaluate functions for inputs in their domains, and interpret statements that use function notation in terms of a context.

Interpret functions that arise in applications in terms of the concept

For a function that models a relationship between two quantities, interpret key features of graphs and tables in terms of the quantities, and sketch graphs showing key features given a verbal description of the relationship.

Analyze functions using different representations

Graph functions expressed symbolically and show key features of the graph, by hand in simple cases and using technology for more complicated cases.

High School: Statistics and Probability Standards Understand and evaluate random processes underlying statistical experiments

Decide if a specified model is consistent with results from a given data-generating process, e.g., using simulation.

Make inferences and justify conclusions from sample surveys, experiments, and observational studies

Use data from a sample survey to estimate a population mean or proportion; develop a margin of error through the use of simulation models for random sampling.47

In many cases of adoption of the Common Core Standards, the implementation of the standards can be a lengthy process, involving the support of multiple stakeholders. As such, we profile some case study examples of districts‟ and states‟ implementation of the Common Core Standards in the pages below.

The case studies of the Evanston-Skokie and the Canyons school districts indicate that the integration of the Common Core Standards into the curriculum may require significant restructuring, usually in the form of an accelerated curriculum. At the state level, much of the implementation material is presented in the form of timelines. Below, we review the implementation timelines of the District of Columbia and

47 For full list of Mathematics standards, see: “Mathematics.” Common Core State Standards Initiative. http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards/mathematics

22




Wisconsin as case studies of the activities and processes necessary for the successful implementation of the standards. A few key points may be drawn from a review of these and other states‟ timelines. Namely, it appears to be important to draw in the support of schools, teachers, parents, and other community stakeholders via communication campaigns, interactive websites, and forums for feedback and public comment. Then, and perhaps most importantly, it is necessary for states to involve teachers and administrators in the work to align curricula, professional development, and pre-service education with the standards. Some states appear to use Race to the Top funds to aid in this process, as well as resources such as the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers and the Partnership Curriculum and Assessment Library. All of these processes may be crucial to the successful identification and implementation of college- and career-readiness skills and standards.

Evanston-Skokie School District 65 (Evanston and Skokie, IL) Illinois‟ Evanston-Skokie School District 65 is implementing the common core curricula in language arts and mathematics and is ahead of schedule in its transition process. Although it is not required to have the curricula established until 2014, the district will have the major pieces in place this year.48

Evanston-Skokie has found implementing the CCSS mathematics standards to be a challenging undertaking. Evanston-Skokie School District 65 Mathematics Curriculum Coordinator, Suzanne Farrand, asserts that implementing the CCSS standards is “a little trickier in math than it is in reading and language arts because everything has changed in terms of when things should be taught,” she told the Pioneer Local in Evanston. “Children should be able to multiply with decimal numbers by the end of (third) grade. Well, we have a curriculum that has that happening in grade 4. So what that means is we have to change everything that leads up to that.”49

To help students catch up to the new standards, particularly in math, Evanston-Skokie 65 has developed several new classes that combine material that is normally spread out over a couple of years. One example is in middle school Algebra. As Karen Berkowitz reports:

One goal of the Common Core Standards is that all students complete algebra by the end of eighth grade. Toward that end, District 65 plans to pilot a mixed-level course called Algebra 8 at [the district‟s middle school] and the two magnet schools…The class, which merges 1 Algebra Regular

48 Berkowitz, K. “District 65 isn‟t waiting to implement core standards.” Evanston Review/Pioneer Local, October 6, 2010. www.pioneerlocal.com/evanston/news/2777602,evanston-core-standard-100710-s1.article 49 Ibid.

23




and Math 8, will be designed to help students achieve algebra mastery and be prepared to enroll in geometry during their ninth-grade year of high school.50

Canyons School District (Sandy, UT) Canyons School District in Sandy, Utah is making three major programmatic changes in preparation for its adoption of further college- and career-readiness measures. First, the district plans to undertake a grade reconfiguration, moving ninth grade from the middle school to the high school-level, with the goal of providing more challenging instruction earlier on in students‟ development. This may require the construction of a new high school to accommodate the ninth-graders, which the district claims “could be built with a special wing designed for an Early College High School that partners with one or more colleges or universities.”51 Second, Canyons will offer multiple types of diplomas. In addition to the normal diploma, they will issue an Advanced diploma and an Honors Diploma – each having different requirements for credits earned and courses completed. To earn an Advanced Diploma, in addition to fulfilling the state‟s regular education requirements, students must earn two additional credits in a foreign language. To earn an Honors Diploma, students must meet the Advanced Diploma requirements and score high on the ACT exam‟s College Readiness Benchmark Scores.52 Third, Canyons School District is making preparations for the redesign of its technical education center into a magnet high school that will follow the college- and career-readiness principle of blending academic and technical-career curricula. The new school will offer a full range of academic courses while remaining centered on the model of a “specialized career academy.” Further, the district suggests that elementary and middle schools in poorer areas could be redesigned to “emphasize an environment of excellence.”53 The District of Columbia In July 2010, Washington, DC adopted mathematics and language arts curricula aligned with the Common Core State Standards. In order to aid in the transition process, it provided public schools and public charter schools with an implementation timeline. The multi-year implementation timeline reflects the long-term outlook of the standards reform initiative. Below is a shortened version of the timeline:

50 Ibid. 51 “College- and Career-Ready Academic Plan.” Canyons School District. http://www.canyonsdistrict.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=114&Itemid=171 52 Ibid. 53 Ibid.

24




Summer 2010

Communications campaign to introduce Common Core State Standards to schools, parents and community stakeholders.

Begin implementation planning with local education agency (LEA) leaders and teachers.

Work to finalize vertical and horizontal crosswalk and transitional documents using the Achieve Comparison Tool with content teams consisting of teachers and curriculum specialists from the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and the District of Columbia Public Charter Schools (DCPCS).

Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) staff will participate in analyzing all of the Common Core State Standards using the method and frameworks developed through the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (SEC) state collaborative. During this three-day meeting, OSSE will ask the team to analyze two grade levels of our current standards under the same SEC process to allow for direct comparisons by an outside group.

School Year 2010 – 2011

Continue communications campaign.

Inform LEAs of change to Common Core through policy memo, hold a city wide forum to explain change, and provide materials for LEAs to communicate change to schools and teachers.

Using Race to the Top (RTTT) funds, design and develop a Common Core Standards interactive web site for students, parents, teachers and administrators.

Teachers continue teaching to DC Standards while referencing the Common Core crosswalk and transitional documents.

Host working groups of teachers and curriculum specialist from DCPS and DCPCS to align current curriculum to Common Core Standards with stipends paid through RTTT funds.

Fund trainers and coaches to work with staff on Common Core Standards implementation through RTTT funds.

Investigate potential implications for current teacher licensure, course models, course descriptions, and graduation requirements.

Work with P-20 Consortium to align graduation requirements to Common Core Standards to measure and track college-readiness.


Inform teachers to continue shift to Common Core Standards using the Common Core crosswalk and transitional documents.

25




LEAs provide school-level professional development through RTTT funds.

Continue focus and working groups, professional development and support as implementation takes shape.

Begin making small shifts in District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessment System (DC CAS) operational test to include more informational texts and dropping items that do not align to Common Core standards, following transitional plan.

Utilize resources available through the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) such as the Partnership Curriculum and Assessment Library (P-CAL) which will contain model curriculum frameworks and released test items from states that align to Common Core Standards.


Inform teachers to shift to Common Core Standards using the Common Core crosswalk and transitional documents.

Continue shifts in DC CAS operational test following transitional plan.

PARCC to pilot test items for common assessment.

Continue to participate in PARCC Public Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement.


Inform teachers to shift to Common Core standards using the Common Core crosswalk and transitional documents.

Continue shifts in DC CAS operational test following transitional plan.

PARCC to field test items for common assessment.

Participate in PARCC teacher training for administering the assessment system.

School Year 2014 - 2015

Full implementation of Common Core Standards and Common Assessment system.

Participate in PARCC teacher training on interpreting and using assessment results from the new assessment system.

Continue to support LEAs in implementation.54

54 “Common Core Implementation Plan.” District of Columbia: Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

26




Wisconsin The Wisconsin Department of Education recently published a Common Core State Standards “Foundations Kit,” which explains the development of the Standards and proposes a “Phase-by-Phase Roll Out” for their implementation in Wisconsin schools. The actions proposed for each phase in the Roll Out are outlined below: Phase I: Understanding, Curriculum, Assessment, Instruction (2010-11)

Understand the underpinnings in instruction and the impetus for the College and Career State Standards (CCSS)

Understand the shift required for systems change under CCSS

Investigate and interpret the implications for instruction embedded in the knowledge, skills and understandings in grade level CCSS

Plan for curriculum development

Evaluate the CCSS as representing College and Career Readiness

Understand the implications on local and state assessments

Phase II: Understanding, Curriculum, Assessment, Instruction (2011-12)

Develop local curriculum based on an instructional focus to implement the CCSS

Align and select resources to implement changes in instruction

Research and align high quality instructional strategies to CCSS

Review and align local formative and benchmark assessments to CCSS

Evaluate the quality of the CCSS local curriculum

Phase III: Understanding, Curriculum, Assessment, Instruction (2012-15)

Plan and develop units of study and lesson plans using the CCSS local curriculum

Conduct collaborative lesson study and reflection based on CCSS integration

Select and use high quality differentiated instructional strategies to teach CCSS in core classrooms for all students

http://osse.dc.gov/seo/frames.asp?doc=/seo/lib/seo/common_core/next_steps_common_core_implementation_plan.pdf

27




Use high quality teaching methods to promote CCSS learning in interventions that support core instruction

Evaluate and adjust the district/school RtI system based on the CCSS local curriculum

Collaboratively develop/select, administer and analyze summative assessments and evaluate the CCSS local curriculum

Collaboratively develop/select, administer and analyze benchmark assessments to measure progress on CCSS local curriculum

Develop/select, administer and analyze formative assessments to measure progress on CCSS local curriculum

Conduct collaborative team studies of student data and progress

Design and use measures to gauge progress and effectiveness of interventions based on CCSS local curriculum

Investigate, design and implement standards-based grading and reporting systems55

55 “Foundations Kit.” Wisconsin Cooperative Education Service Areas, School Improvement Services, 8. www.dpi.wi.gov/cal/pdf/foundations-kit.pdf

28




Appendix A: Texas College and Career Readiness Standards

Language Arts Writing:

Compose a variety of texts that demonstrate clear focus, the logical development of ideas in well-organized paragraphs, and the use of appropriate language that advances the author‟s purpose.

Evaluate relevance, quality, sufficiency, and depth of preliminary ideas and information, organize material generated, and formulate a thesis.

Reading:

Locate explicit textual information, draw complex inferences, and analyze and evaluate the information within and across texts of varying lengths.

Analyze the presentation of information and the strength and quality of evidence used by the author, and judge the coherence and logic of the presentation and the credibility of an argument.

Apply knowledge of roots and affixes to infer the meanings of new words.

Analyze works of literature for what they suggest about the historical period and cultural contexts in which they were written.

Speaking:

Understand the elements of communication both in informal group discussions and formal presentations (e.g., accuracy, relevance, rhetorical features, organization of information).

Plan and deliver focused and coherent presentations that convey clear and distinct perspectives and demonstrate solid reasoning.

Listening:

Applying listening skills as an individual and as a member of a group in a variety of settings (e.g., lectures, discussions, conversations, team projects, presentations, interviews).

Listen critically and respond appropriately to presentations.

Research:

Formulate topic and questions.

Select information from a variety of sources.

Produce and design a document. Mathematics Numeric Reasoning:

Compare real numbers.

Define and give examples of complex numbers.

29




Perform computations with real and complex numbers.

Use estimation to check for errors and reasonableness of solutions.

Algebraic Reasoning:

Explain and differentiate between expressions and equations using words such as “solve,” “evaluate,” and “simplify.”

Recognize and use algebraic (field) properties, concepts, procedures, and algorithms to combine, transform, and evaluate expressions (e.g., polynomials, radicals, rational expressions).

Recognize and use algebraic (field) properties, concepts, procedures, and algorithms to solve equations, inequalities, and systems of linear equations.

Interpret multiple representations of equations and relationships. Geometric Reasoning:

Make, test, and use conjectures about one-, two-, and three-dimensional figures and their properties.

Use congruence transformations and dilations to investigate congruence, similarity, and symmetries of plan figures.

Make connections between geometry and algebra. Measurement Reasoning:

Select or use the appropriate type of unit for the attribute being measured.

Convert from one measurement system to another.

Determine the surface area and volume of three-dimensional figures.

Apply probabilistic measures to practical situations to make an informed decision.

Probabilistic Reasoning:

Determine the nature and the number of elements in a finite sample space.

Compute and interpret the probability of an event and its complement. Statistical Reasoning:

Describe patterns and departure from patterns in a set of data.

Make predictions and draw inferences using summary statistics. Functions:

Recognize and distinguish between different types of functions.

Algebraically construct and analyze new functions.

Develop a function to model a situation. Problem Solving and Reasoning:

Mathematical problem solving o Analyze given information.

30




o Formulate a plan or strategy. o Determine a solution. o Justify the solution. o Evaluate the problem-solving process.

Logical reasoning o Develop and evaluate convincing arguments. o Use various types of reasoning.

Real world problem solving o Formulate a solution to a real world situation based on the solution to

a mathematical problem. o Use a function to model a real world situation. o Evaluate the problem-solving process.

Communication and Representation:

Use mathematical symbols, terminology, and notation to represent given and unknown information in a problem.

Model and interpret mathematical ideas and concepts using multiple representations.

Create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas.

Science Foundation Skills – Scientific Applications of Mathematics:

Understand ratios, proportions, percentages, and decimal fractions, and translate from any form to any other.

Represent natural events, processes, and relationships with algebraic expressions and algorithms.

Understand basic geometric principles.

Select and use appropriate Standard International (SI) units and prefixes to express measurements for real world problems.

Foundation Skills – Scientific Applications of Communication:

Read technical and scientific articles to gain understanding of interpretations, apparatuses, techniques or procedures, and data.

Prepare and present scientific/technical information in appropriate formats for various audiences.

Use search engines, databases, and other digital electronic tools effectively to locate information.

Biology:

Know that although all cells share basic features, cells differentiate to carry out specialized functions.

31




Understand the major categories of biological molecules: lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Know multiple categories of evidence for evolutionary change and how this evidence is used to infer evolutionary relationships among organisms.

Understand Mendel‟s laws of inheritance.

Know ways in which living things can be classified based on each organism‟s internal and external structure, development, and relatedness of DNA sequences.

Identify Earth‟s major biomes, giving their locations, typical climate conditions, and characteristic organisms.

Chemistry:

Know that physical and chemical properties can be used to describe and classify matter.

Summarize the development of atomic theory. Understand that models of the atom are used to help understand the properties of elements and compounds.

Know the organization of the periodic table.

Characterize ionic bonds, metallic bonds, and covalent bonds. Describe the properties of metals and ionic and covalent compounds.

Describe the properties of acids and bases, and identify the products of a neutralization reaction.

Understand the behavior of matter in its various states: solid, liquid, and gas.

Understand the major categories of biological molecules: proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids.

Physics:

Demonstrate familiarity with length scales from sub-atomic particles through macroscopic objects.

Understand how vectors are used to represent physical quantities.

Understand the fundamental concepts of kinematics.

Understand potential and kinetic energy.

Understand basic oscillatory motion and simple harmonic motion.

Discuss electric charge and electric force.

Know the electromagnetic spectrum. Earth and Space Sciences:

Know the major features and characteristics of atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

Understand interactions among the sun, Earth, and moon.

Describe the structure and motions of the solar system and its components.

Understand scientific theories for the formation of the universe.

Describe the evidence that supports the current theory of plate tectonics.

32




Environmental Science:

Know the major features of the geosphere and the factors that modify them.

Recognize variations in population sizes, including human population and extinction, and describe mechanisms and conditions that produce these variations.

Understand how human practices affect air, water, and soil quality.

Social Studies Interrelated Disciplines and Skills:

Analyze the relationship between geography and the development of human communities.

Analyze causes and effects of major political, economic, and social changes in U.S. and world history.

Identify different social groups (e.g., clubs, religious organizations) and examine how they form and how and why they sustain themselves.

Use a variety of research and analytical tools to explore questions or issues thoroughly and fairly.

Diverse Human Perspectives and Experiences:

Define a “multicultural society” and consider both the positive and negative qualities of multiculturalism.

Analyze how individual and group identities are established and change over time.

Distinguish spatial patterns of human communities that exist between or within contemporary political boundaries.

Identify and analyze the main idea(s) and point(s)-of-view in sources.

Use established research methodologies.

Construct a thesis that is supported by evidence.

Use appropriate oral communication techniques depending on the context or nature of the interaction.56

56 For full list of standards, see: “Texas College and Career Readiness Standards.” Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and Texas Education Agency, 2009, 1-31.www.thecb.state.tx.us/collegereadiness/CRS.pdf

33




Appendix B: Virginia Standards of Learning for Mathematics and English

Mathematics Standards of Learning Grade Two Number and Number Sense:

The student will: o Read, write, and identify the place value of each digit in a three-digit

numeral, using numeration models. o Round two-digit numbers to the nearest ten.

Computation and Estimation:

The student, given two whole numbers whose sum is 99 or less, will: o Estimate the sum. o Find the sum, using various methods of calculation (mental

computation, concrete materials, and paper and pencil). Measurement:

The student will: o Count and compare a collection of pennies, nickels, dimes, and

quarters whose total value is $2.00 or less. o Identify the correct usage of the cent symbol (¢), dollar symbol ($), and

decimal point. Geometry:

The student will identify and create figures, symmetric along a line, using various concrete materials.

Probability and Statistics:

The student will record data from experiments, using spinners and colored tiles/cubes, and use the data to predict which of two events is more likely to occur if the experiment is repeated.

Patterns, Functions, and Algebra:

The student will identify, create, and extend a wide variety of patterns, using numbers, concrete objects, and pictures.

34




Grade Seven Number and Number Sense:

The student will identify, create, and extend a wide variety of patterns, using numbers, concrete objects, and pictures.

Computation and Estimation:

The student will: o Solve practical problems using rational numbers (whole numbers,

fractions, decimals) and percents. o Solve consumer–application problems involving tips, discounts, sales

tax, and simple interest. Measurement:

The student, given appropriate dimensions, will: o Estimate and find the area of polygons by subdividing them into

rectangles and right triangles. o Apply perimeter and area formulas in practical situations.

Geometry

The student will compare and contrast the following quadrilaterals: parallelogram, rectangle, square, rhombus, and trapezoid. Deductive reasoning and inference will be used to classify quadrilaterals.

Probability and Statistics

The student will investigate and describe the difference between the probability of an event found through simulation versus the theoretical probability of that same event.

Patterns, Functions, and Algebra

The student will represent, analyze, and generalize a variety of patterns, including arithmetic sequences and geometric sequences, with tables, graphs, rules, and words in order to investigate and describe functional relationships.

High School Mathematics Courses Algebra I:

The student will solve multistep linear equations and inequalities in one variable, solve literal equations (formulas) for a given variable, and apply these skills to solve practical problems. Graphing calculators will be used to confirm algebraic solutions.

35




Geometry:

The student will construct and judge the validity of a logical argument consisting of a set of premises and a conclusion. This will include:

o Identifying the converse, inverse, and contrapositive of a conditional statement.

o Translating a short verbal argument into symbolic form. o Using Venn diagrams to represent set relationships. o Using deductive reasoning, including the law of syllogism.

Algebra II:

The student will identify field properties, axioms of equality and inequality, and properties of order that are valid for the set of real numbers and its subsets, complex numbers, and matrices.

Trigonometry:

The student will use the definitions of the six trigonometric functions to find the sine, cosine, tangent, cotangent, secant, and cosecant of an angle in standard position, given a point, other than the origin, on the terminal side of the angle. Circular function definitions will be connected with trigonometric function definitions.

Computer Mathematics:

The student will apply programming techniques and skills to solve practical problems in mathematics arising from consumer, business, other applications in mathematics. Problems will include opportunities for students to analyze data in charts, graphs, and tables and to use their knowledge of equations, formulas, and functions to solve these problems.

Probability and Statistics:

The student will analyze graphical displays of data, including dotplots, stemplots, and histograms, to identify and describe patterns and departures from patterns, using central tendency, spread, clusters, gaps, and outliers. Appropriate technology will be used to create graphical displays.

Discrete Mathematics:

The student will model problems, using vertex-edge graphs. The concepts of valence, connectedness, paths, planarity, and directed graphs will be investigated. Adjacency matrices and matrix operations will be used to solve problems (e.g., food chains, number of paths).

Mathematical Analysis:

The student will investigate and identify the characteristics of polynomial and rational functions and use these to sketch the graphs of the functions. This will include determining zeros, upper and lower bounds, y-intercepts,

36




symmetry, asymptotes, intervals for which the function is increasing or decreasing, and maximum or minimum points. Graphing utilities will be used to investigate and verify these characteristics.

Advanced Placement Calculus:

The student will define and apply the properties of elementary functions, including algebraic, trigonometric, exponential, and composite functions and their inverses, and graph these functions, using a graphing calculator. Properties of functions will include domains, ranges, combinations, odd, even, periodicity, symmetry, asymptotes, zeros, upper and lower bounds, and intervals where the function is increasing or decreasing.57

English Standards of Learning Grade Two Oral Language:

The student will demonstrate an understanding of oral language structure. o Create oral stories to share with others. o Create and participate in oral dramatic activities. o Use correct verb tenses in oral communication. o Use increasingly complex sentence structures in oral communication.

Reading:

The student will use phonetic strategies when reading and spelling. o Use knowledge of consonants, consonant blends, and consonant

digraphs to decode and spell words. o Use knowledge of short, long, and r-controlled vowel patterns to

decode and spell words. o Decode regular multisyllabic words.

Writing:

The student will write stories, letters, and simple explanations. o Generate ideas before writing. o Organize writing to include a beginning, middle, and end. o Revise writing for clarity. o Use available technology.

57 For full list of mathematics standards, see: “Mathematics Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools.” Virginia Department of Education, 1-64. http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/mathematics/complete/stds_math.pdf

37




Grade Seven Oral Language:

The student will give and seek information in conversations, in group discussions, and in oral presentations.

o Use oral vocabulary and style appropriate for listeners. o Communicate ideas and information orally in an organized and

succinct manner. o Ask probing questions to seek elaboration and clarification of ideas. o Make supportive statements to communicate agreement with or

acceptance of others‟ ideas. o Use grammatically correct language and vocabulary appropriate to

audience, topic, and purpose. Reading:

The student will read to determine the meanings and pronunciations of unfamiliar words and phrases.

o Use roots and affixes to expand vocabulary. o Recognize analogies and figurative language. o Identify connotations.

Writing:

The student will develop narrative, expository, and persuasive writing. o Apply knowledge of prewriting strategies. o Elaborate the central idea in an organized manner. o Choose vocabulary and information that will create voice and tone. o Use clauses and phrases to vary sentences. o Revise writing for clarity and effect. o Use a word processor to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish selected

writings. Grade Twelve Oral Language:

The student will make a 5 to 10 minute formal oral presentation. o Choose the purpose of the presentation: to defend a position, to

entertain an audience, or to explain information. o Use a well-structured narrative or logical argument. o Use details, illustrations, statistics, comparisons, and analogies to

support purposes. o Use visual aids or technology to support presentation. o Use grammatically correct language, including vocabulary appropriate

to the topic, audience, and purpose.

38




Reading Analysis:

The student will read and analyze the development of British literature and literature of other cultures.

o Recognize major literary forms and their elements. o Recognize the characteristics of major chronological eras. o Relate literary works and authors to major themes and issues of their

eras. Writing:

The student will develop expository and informational writings. o Generate, gather, and organize ideas for writing. o Consider audience and purpose when planning for writing. o Write analytically about literary, informational, and visual materials. o Elaborate ideas clearly and accurately. o Revise writing for depth of information and technique of presentation. o Apply grammatical conventions to edit writing for correct use of

language, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. o Proofread final copy and prepare document for publication or

submission. Research:

The student will write documented research papers. o Identify and understand the ethical issues of research and

documentation. o Evaluate the accuracy and usefulness of information. o Synthesize information to support the thesis. o Present information in a logical manner. o Cite sources of information, using a standard method of

documentation, such as that of the Modern Language Association (MLA) or the American Psychological Association (APA).

o Edit copies for correct use of language, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.

o Proofread final copy and prepare document for publication or submission.58

58 For full list of English standards, see: “English Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools.” Virginia Department of Education, 1-71. http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/english/complete/stds_englishk-12.pdf

39




Project Evaluation Form Hanover Research is committed to providing a work product that meets or exceeds member expectations. In keeping with that goal, we would like to hear your opinions regarding our reports. Feedback is critically important and serves as the strongest mechanism by which we tailor our research to your organization. When you have had a chance to evaluate this report, please take a moment to fill out the following questionnaire. http://www.hanoverresearch.com/evaluation/index.php

Note This brief was written to fulfill the specific request of an individual member of Hanover Research. As such, it may not satisfy the needs of all members. We encourage any and all members who have additional questions about this topic – or any other – to contact us.

Caveat The publisher and authors have used their best efforts in preparing this brief. The publisher and authors make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this brief and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. There are no warranties which extend beyond the descriptions contained in this paragraph. No warranty may be created or extended by representatives of Hanover Research or its marketing materials. The accuracy and completeness of the information provided herein and the opinions stated herein are not guaranteed or warranted to produce any particular results, and the advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every member. Neither the publisher nor the authors shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. Moreover, Hanover Research is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. Members requiring such services are advised to consult an appropriate professional.

http://www.hanoverresearch.com/evaluation/index.php

Documents

Identifying and Implementing College- and Career-Readiness … · 2014-01-13 · Identifying and Implementing College- and Career-Readiness Standards In this report, Hanover Research